Flu season has hit Michigan

Friday

Oct 25, 2013 at 2:00 PM

By Don Reiddwreid@aol.comCOLDWATER — The 2013-14 flu season is officially here for the state after the Michigan Department of Community Health confirmed the first four cases identified by a state lab.Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Counties Community Health Agency (CHA) health officer Steve Todd said the flu occurred in both children and adults from two southeast Michigan counties."Close by but none in our jurisdiction, he said.Three of the cases were confirmed influenza A (H1N1), the same strain that in 2009 hit the county hard. The other one was confirmed as an influenza A (H3N2) virus.Todd urged everyone to get flu shots."It takes two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop and provide protection against the flu virus," he said.Because of the unpredictability to flu is it important to get vaccinated early.Family doctors, the health department and most pharmacies provide the flu shots. Two types of vaccine are being administered this year. The trivalent protects against both the A strain found here.The quadrivalent comes in both injection and nasal spray and also protects against two strains additional strains of influenza B.Shots come in the intramuscular and the intradermal which uses a smaller needle. The intradermal is used only for those ages 18 to 64. The nasal spray is used only for those between age 2 and 49.Seniors over 65 are urged to get the high dose trivalent vaccine.For most people flu lasts about a week with fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, cough, headache and a runny or stuffy nose. Influenza is highly contagious. When you get vaccinated you not only protect yourself but protect your family and community.State health officials say it's too early to tell what influenza viruses will circulate or how severe the influenza season may be. Michigan's flu activity reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "sporadic."Not all people who see a doctor with flu symptoms are swabbed with the sample sent to the state lab for testing.Todd pointed out while the season usually peaks in January or February it can peak earlier, like last year, or later."It is really here year round," he said. Officials also cannot predict which strains will spread or how severe any outbreaks will be.